Special Report
100 American Towns Founded Before the American Revolution
February 1, 2019 2:58 pm
Last Updated: March 13, 2020 2:40 pm
Source: James_Lane / iStock
31. New London, Connecticut
> Founded: 1646
> Population: 27,218
New London, founded by English settlers, was the Connecticut colony’s first official port.
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32. Andover, Massachusetts
> Founded: 1646
> Population: 9,194
English settlers from Andover, England settled in this part of Massachusetts. Andover is home to the prestigious prep school Phillips Academy.
Source: Mr.TinDC / Flickr
33. Kittery, Maine
> Founded: 1647
> Population: 4,704
Kittery is the first incorporated town in Maine.
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34. Marblehead, Massachusetts
> Founded: 1649
> Population: 20,363
The first non-Native American settlers were British subjects who came to present-day Marblehead from Salem to escape religious oppression from the Puritans.
24/7 Wall St.
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35. Annapolis, Maryland
> Founded: 1649
> Population: 39,009
Home to the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis was settled by the Puritans and originally called Providence.
Source: Jack E. Boucher / Wikimedia Commons
36. New Castle, Delaware
> Founded: 1651
> Population: 5,372
New Castle was founded by the Dutch under Peter Stuyvesant. The original name of the town was Fort Casimir.
Source: Doug Kerr / Flickr
37. Chelmsford, Massachusetts
> Founded: 1655
> Population: 33,802
Chelmsford was founded by colonists from Concord and Woburn. It is located 24 miles north of Boston.
Source: T L Miles / Wikimedia Commons
38. Staten Island, New York
> Founded: 1661
> Population: 475,558
The Dutch established a colony there in 1661. Staten Island derives from the Dutch name, Staaten Eylandt. The English seized the area in 1664 and renamed the Island in honor of the Duke of Richmond.
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39. Stonington, Connecticut
> Founded: 1662
> Population: 973
Stonington was founded by Governor John Winthrop, Jr. who obtained a charter from England.
Source: Doug Kerr / Flickr
40. Elizabeth, New Jersey
> Founded: 1664
> Population: 128,042
English immigrants founded the settlement — originally called Elizabethtown — after buying the land from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans.
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